When most think about live and local music in the Upper Ohio Valley, they realize how much they missed the performances during this ongoing shutdown pertaining to public events.
But imagine being one of the performers who were silenced suddenly and who still have earning-hurting restrictions they are mandated to follow.
Jon Banco knows all about it.
“At first, it wasn’t frustrating because the two-week break was nice, but as time went on it became more frustrating because you kept thinking that it wouldn’t last long,” Banco explained. “We all thought it would be until the end of April, then May, then June, and then July, maybe August. But I don’t know what if I am frustrated with anyone in particular, but I am very frustrated because I haven’t been able to work like I usually do during a summer around here.
“When it hit, it came after a pretty busy winter, so it wasn’t that bad. I think a break from anything is a good thing because I believe we all have to re-charge our batteries,” he said. “But then you miss playing in the public, and then you start to miss the money. So, you are missing what you love to do the most, and you’re missing the income to goes along with it.”
The Gigmaster
Banco plays the saxophone for several bands, including Hit Play and Eli Lambi & the Mojo Kings, but he also facilitates live music at more than 10 venues throughout the Upper Ohio Valley.
Normally, each week would include as many as 20 bookings for “Happy Hour” at bars, a couple of trivia nights at Generations and Primanti’s, and evening entertainment. But now, audience size is restricted, and in West Virginia, inside-venue entertainment remains banned.
“Right now, it’s still really different because I used to arrange an average of 17 gigs per week, and now it’s only like six or seven per week because of what’s allowed in West Virginia and Ohio,” Banco said. “In Ohio, it’s easier to have live entertainment because there are less restrictions and the musicians can play inside the venue, but that’s not true in West Virginia.
“But we weren’t able to go out and play from mid-March through June. It wasn’t until July when some of the venues had events with a limit on the number of people who could attend,” he explained. “Now, in West Virginia, solo acts are permissible, but they have to have the proper plexiglass guard in front of them when they are performing. And right now, in West Virginia, these musicians are not yet allowed to perform inside.”
Hell Darkness, My Old Friend
While the summer months are prime season for the plethora of talent in this region, the fall and winter seasons are fruitful, too, because people wish to appreciate and escape the weather that’s normal for the Upper Ohio Valley between November and May.
No one knows, Banco said, what will be possible in the coming months.
“The people in the bands are pretty frustrated right now because they can’t play in West Virginia,” Banco reported. “The people with the solo and duo acts are still frustrated, but now at least they can get some gigs, and there are a few more gigs now than before. One of them is the Char House near Bethlehem, and Belmont Brewerks in Martins Ferry is another, so there are some opportunities for the people who do the solo gigs.”
He expects spikes in positive tests, and Banco is a firm believer that COVID-19 will impact much more than live entertainment.
“I think we’re going to see some schools get shut down, and I think we’ll see some spikes around the holidays,” he offered. “That why I believe we’ll be stuck where we are not live entertainment, but I really hope they allow the musicians to play indoors with the same precautions that are in place for the outdoor shows. That just makes sense to me.
“If we get to that point, I’d be happy for most of the people I work with right now,” Banco added. “But I’m not much into ‘maybes’ so that’s why I’ve written off most of the fall and winter events for the rest of the year. I hate to say that, but who thought this thing was going to be around this long?”
